A institucionalização da paradiplomacia nos estados brasileiros interiorizados (Minas Gerais, Goiás e Tocantins)

Abstract

The intensification of relations between States, in general, is immediately associated with the globalization process and the technological facilities developed in recent decades. After the end of the Cold War, other actors had their importance recognized in the international system, therefore, the State was no longer the only entity to have autonomy to manage the new issues that were rising on the international agenda. That way, subnational entities were inserted into international politics and their foreign relations gained their own name: paradiplomacy. The main objective of this work is to study the paradiplomatic institutionalization of Brazilian states called “interiorized”, which are those that do not share borders with other nations neither are on the coast: Minas Gerais, Goiás and Tocantins. The analysis will be carried out taking as a starting point the framework for the restoration of Brazilian democracy, the Federal Constitution of 1988, when the Brazilian federative units regained their autonomy and restarted promoting foreign policy activities. This paper seeks to answer questions such as: does the interiorized geographical condition make paradiplomatic actions impossible? Do the governors of such states consider international action a locally important policy? For this, exploratory qualitative research will be carried out, using bibliographic surveys and evaluation of decrees and ordinances that boosted the international insertion of the three federative units. Among the results found, it is indicated that the governments of Minas Gerais, Goiás and Tocantins do carry out paradiplomatic actions and use them for local development. However, the paradiplomatic institutionalization of each of these subnational governments is at very different levels, in addition to suffering discontinuities related to government changes.